White Death
by LadyRainStarDragon
Summary: Sometimes, Death can not be stopped. It must be met with honor. Chihiro's first act to fulfill her duty as a miko. A white death is a pure death, and a lily will always grow again.
1. Default Chapter

White Death  
Rating: PG-13 for death  
By: LadyRainStarDragon  
Disclaimer: Spirited Away is not mine 

Summary:  
Lily's death. Why Chihiro was so touchy about her mom trying to console her about the anniversary of her friend's death in Rivers Keep Flowing. Originallya one-shot. There will be two more chapters, which will give information about her new birth, and her new role.

* * *

'So much white.'

The child sat beside a snow-white bed, holding a cream-white hand, inside a cloud-white room, feet resting on an off-white linoleum floor. Her friend had hated being cooped up inside, sharing her love of running free by the river when it had existed, or through the forest.

Now, Lily couldn't run. Period.

Chihiro had gotten over all of the sicknesses that had plagued her childhood shortly after she had moved away from the community at the age of nine, which was two years ago now. This had given her immune system time to build itself back up, and so when she returned in the summers now she would not get sick.

Lily did not have that opportunity. Colds, flus, chicken pox, and other common childhood diseases would slam the area, then mutate and slam the children again. Many had even been diagnosed with something called West Nile. She didn't really understand, but she did know that it was bad, that it ate away at what had made her friend be able to move and function.

Lily had once said that it made her feel like some demon was squatting in her body, feeding on her. She described a ringing that would occur when things were getting ready to act up again. Mostly though, her will had been broken by not being allowed to go outside anymore.

The beeps of the machine were slowing, but the child refused to let go of her friend's hand. She might not be able to follow, but this 11 year old would stay with her friend until death swept the other away.

'What if Death is all white too?'

Lily was asleep, long blond hair spread free around her head, overflowing the pillow to show at least some of her formerly care-free nature, the ends kissing the white robe she had insisted Chihiro help her put on. Lily had wanted to be ready when the spirit of death finally came to take her away into a new adventure. The tiny hands were so frail and cold, and something within told Chihiro that it would be soon, and her friend would no longer be in pain whether physical or mental.

There was a presence in the corner, tall and masculine. It wasn't a doctor or nurse, and every time she looked up, she saw nothing. She could feel it though, feel it's sorrow as keenly as she felt her own. Was he Death?

A tired smile stretched Lily's face.

'I see the river, Chihiro. I'll wait for you there. Till we meet again, fare well.'

Tears fell down Chihiro's face as the beeps became a drone. The white that had filled Lily contracted, becoming a tiny, tiny seed pearl, and traveled up Chihiros arm to her heart. There was pressure, the feeling of something passing through herself, and falling. The floor came up to greet her, and unseen arms lowered her gently to rest upon its cool surface. There was the flash of white scale and white furred tail-tip flashing before her face, Death leaving the room as his job had been admirably done for him by the girl who had just began her Miko training.

The feeling was gone, and all that remained was an empty body to keep the child company. Lily was now free of pain, no longer sick with a disease they were too late to treat. The presence was also gone, but he had left her with a gift.

The child frowned, examining the purple river lily.

The droning had called nurses in, and they worked around the immobile child, none having been able to lift her, as if she were glued. The electricity shot through the other childs body, but she was gone. They left, allowing the child to say goodbye, and intent on calling Mr and Mrs Tanaka before they moved the empty shell.

The little kimono clad child got up and leaned heavily on the bed, hair beginning to fall out of the magenta hair band restraining it. Chihiro held Lilys hand one last time.

'Till we meet again my best friend, Lily. Your best friend, Chihiro.'

Losing control of herself, she poured out her river of sorrow into the white sheets. Far below the Sacred Spring that once fed the Kohakugawa river, a sorrowing young man lay lost upon his futon, screaming about how his prize possessions best friend had to be so cruelly removed at such a young age, and how powerless he was to fix it. Somewhere deep inside the courses of the Fukaikohakugawa, a tiny seed pearl entered the body of one of the surviving fish spirits from the aboveground river, who had just been birthed by a female in sorcerous hibernation. The memories of the little soul were wiped and the jewel lay in wait to continue lessons that had been cut short by the meddling of a dog. If the fish spirit could hold on until the river once again ran free, Creator would be spared the sorrow of the loss of a promising young soul.

* * *

White is a symbol of death and mourning in Asian culture. Just in case somebody didn't know. The dead are dressed in a white kimono, folded closed in the opposite direction of what is normally worn.


	2. White Birth

White Death

Chapter 2: White Birth

* * *

Not that long ago, he had left behind the river's miko. It always pained him to watch them sorrow, but Lily's time as a human was over. Yes, she had been cut short, but it was not his own fault.

Death made his way silently through the sleeping realm of river and keep. All the original servants save for two lay in mystical hibernation, conserving their energy stores and hoping that some day the ancient river in the above world would flow again. He himself had been present and lurking when the head housekeepers had broken the emergency orb after the spring lord had relayed news that the entrance was sealed.

Death and Life alone were able to pass the gates of earth and shell now, and for the past several years he had come to take the spirits of the weak away to a new and stronger life, to reward them for their faith.

Life was now waiting for him here. His beautiful mate had been taking care of the pregnant mothers that had been down here. This was the last one, and he would collect her soon. First though, the healthy child must come out, the last being to be awake in this ancient fortress, one of the few children that had survived their gestation.

This had only been possible because there was a soul worthy of the position that she would now fill. The Death Guild and the Council of Life had both agreed that young Lily was the most appropriate soul to occupy this body now sliding out of the humanoid carp spirit into the shining hands of the other spirit. King Yama himself had placed the stamp of approval once it had been presented. The child deserved to remain with her friend, even if neither of them would ever know who the other truly was.

The ghostly white dragon rounded a corner and witnessed the last of the birth, delighting in the healthy cry from the young carp child born in humanoid form. It was good that this shape was the one, she could be too easily swept away by the river if in her proper form. The tiny seed pearl would grow in this body, and perhaps be even larger by the time of her next incarnation.

"Welcome back Lily."

Life's white skin shone with an inner light like the sun or stars, and her midnight hair was a river of birth around her form. She never wore proper clothing, her hair provided all the curtaining that she needed. Ruby lips were curved in a smile matched only by violets that were her eyes.

"Those two share a strong connection."

"Yes, they do. As long as I can remember these two pearls have been close. Rare among their kind."

"Kohakunushi will be eased from some of his pain when he realizes the spirit has been returned."

"With his sacrifice, he has earned it."

The pale carp woman the child slid out of dissolved bodily, spirit ready to leave the worn out shell. All her life she had waited patiently for her duty, and now it would pass to her daughter. Death smiled gently. It was beautiful to see the grace with which this one readied herself.

"Yes Scale. Your daughter is healthy and strong. You may return to the Sea Beyond and rest."

Opening his gaping maw wide, the glowing fish shape swam happily to be consumed and pass to where all fish go after death. He felt her pass through him, and when passage was finished, he smiled for his mate.

"I need to go now. The old servants are coming to investigate the baby's wails and your presence. Will you wait for them?"

"Yes mate."

* * *

Two feeble looking old servants wobbled near the child. They had seen with their Sight the mother's soul departing with Death. The presence of Life herself intrigued them, but they knew better to speak. She was too powerful, and even a word from her could be destructive unintentionally.

Instead, the white fish and white salamander bowed low to the Lady.

Silently, she held forth the bundle. The old lizard took it carefully in his arms, watching as the Dragon of Life faded from view.

"Another child. It is good that some have survived to be born."

"Indeed. Lord Kohaku will be pleased to find that some of the unborn had survived when he returns to us."

Blue eyes gazed tearily up at the old ones, and they melted into smiles. She was so new, and yet her eyes held such sorrow, as if she had lost something important. In a way, this was true. Her mother had just passed away, and her father had been dead since the river seige.

She looked so much like her parents.

"She needs a name."

"She needs food first you old coot!"

The pair made their way through the darkened and magic laden halls by memory. Boiled rice was all they had to offer for one so young. It would have to do.

"What's this in her bundle?"

A single purple river lily had worked its way out of her scaled blanket.

"A lily. I haven't seen one in years."

"Let's call her Lily."


	3. River Lilies

White Death

Chapter 3: River Lilies

Lilies may die, but they always return if the root is kept.

* * *

A pale gleam wound her way through darkest shadows far beneath the ground, navigating by the sounds of river and the echoes of its sounds almost more than the weak light from lichen and crystal. She had to step carefully, fearful to disturb any of the hibernating spirits that still lived. So many had already passed on since she was old enough to remember, and the gates were still sealed.

These gates were sealed by their master when he had left the women and children, and the men too old and feeble to fight. So many were down here waiting for the lord to return and tell them that the river waited above for them. They would remain sealed until that day, but the few servants who were awake had no idea when it would be. After all, according to the mirror in the library, their lord had been injured in his Great Battle, and was still recovering waiting to be healed, waiting for the woman who would return the river to him.

She had always lived down here in this dark grotto, for as long as she could remember. The dark was home, and she had only rarely heard of something called a sun through the two old blind caretakers of the place. They had been the only ones of the original staff to not go into the sleep, preferring to stay awake for the return of their Lord and Master. Six years after he had gone and the entrance had sealed, she had been born. As her birth had been after the sweep of the spell, it had no effect on her, just as with the few others who had also been born or hatched in the same circumstance.

Mother had died though, giving birth without assistance and without knowledge. The fish and salamander spirits had found her as a baby on their patrols, and cared for her. Luckily, they knew the spirits that were her parents, both servants of high rank. Father had been a personal servant to the river lord, serving mainly in the mansion of the upper river. Mother had been retained to attend the needs of the river lady, whenever the lord finally took one.

Lily had inherited her position.

The little carp spirit was bound for the shell gates that would give admittance into the citadel of the Fukaikohakugawa. Something called to the eight year old, telling her that today would be the day the gates would finally open once more, allowing more into the deep river realm than just the water life bringing liquid. She had no idea why she felt this.

She just knew.

Vast expanses of delicate white tinged with pink mixed in with pale blue, the twin gates were a wondrous sight to behold, far more beautiful than any ordinary shell. Legend said that the giant oyster youkai had grown in the sea, where all water dragons originated from, and how when the Nigihayami river dragons needed to protect the exterior of their hidden castle that guarded their breeding grounds, it had offered itself. Nothing could penetrate this magic item by force. The only way to come in was if the gates were opened to you, or if you had a strong energetic connection to one of the nobles hidden within.

The pressure of an approach increased, and the fish-child stilled her breath to listen. The sparks no longer flew off of her scales or tunic, so still was she. A fierce roar came from the other side of the gate, triumphant and rejoicing, the Lord of the Grounds announcing his return. On their own, the gates moved, recognizing the current master over Fukaikohakugawa.

A streak of white and teal heaved itself from the water, landing before her on the shelf, shaking to spray crystal drops of the river. Glowing jade stared into the wide sky, and both felt an odd recognition of the other, neither having met face to face. Snapping from her trance but not her awe, the fish bowed low.

"Welcome back, Nigihayami Kohakunushi-sama."

"So you were here all along after all, Lily. My suspicions were correct."

The young spirit cocked her head to the side at her master's choice of words. Why would she not be here? This is where she was born, after all. Where else would she be when she had been here her whole life?

"Yes, I am Lily. I have inherited my mother's position as handmaiden to my lord's bride when he sees fit to procure one."

Being bowed so low, Lily did not see the surprise in her lord's eyes. He had always hoped that he would be able to reunite his Chihiro with Lily someday, but he had not expected it to be like this.

"Then you will be pleased to know that I have chosen a bride. Once I have awoken everyone, you will accompany me to the surface and shall see her. You will either procure yourself, or send messengers for, whatever womanly articles she will need for both here, and in the mansion of the Kohakugawa once that has been reconstructed. Can you handle that responsibility?"

She was ecstatic! Finally there would be a chance to know another female. To procure everything was a large task, but it would be so much fun! She would have to learn about her mistress so that when the bride finally came, she would be well pleased with the selections.

"Yes my lord!"

* * *

A shadow worked his way through the memories that lay at rest in the still caverns. So many souls had lain here in hibernation, waiting for the day they could return to the surface, providing they had the fortitude to stay in their living forms long enough. At last, the day had come, and most had awoken already to repopulate the aboveground river. He was making this last sweep himself, worried that there were any spirits that the others may have missed with the general awakening spells.

More had survived without their needed sun than he would have thought possible. It warmed his heart how even in the face of adversity, hope could still be seen. Every sleeping face that he had awoken had the same look of trust, counting on being preserved.

A small smile graced his face, despite the heavy burden that weighed on him. There were those that had not made it, that had not been strong enough. He had taken care of those as well, given them honorable burial after the fashions of their own kind. As their Lord, their lives were his responsibility to preserve in times of danger. He blamed himself for their deaths, for having been too weak to defend his realm better. This was what he needed to do for them.

It had always been that way though, the weak eventually moved on while the strong survived. The responsibility of the strong was to the weak, to sustain them in the hope that they would become strong as well. Strong subjects made for strong territories, and he would need the additional strength once the word got out his bride would be a human. He had many enemies in other territories, some who would want the newly forming river for their own, others who would gladly try to ruin anything that he held dear.

She too was strong though. On her own, she had purified the very demon that had brought him low, no mean task in itself. The problem was that she only seemed to be able to do it in times of great danger.

No way did he want her anywhere near danger. She was to gentle, and needed to be cared for. His mansion would be rebuilt with her needs in mind, but he needed to procure a spirit that he could trust to serve her need. Now that Chihiro was his fiancé, she was a noble, and it would only be right for her to have someone waiting to attend her needs. It felt odd to him, that her childhood best friend would reincarnate as the one who would be her handmaiden.

They would be together though.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he turned down the last hallway to be checked for survivors. There had been the nagging feeling of someone familiar here for years, but until now he could not explore to find out. Ten had kept him bodily sequestered inside the Spring Realm. It had irked him, but his friend meant well.

Here, some mother had left her eggs after spawning to be protected by a sluggish pool of the river. Most had not made it, but two had matured. A boy and girl from the look of it, and salamander spirits at that. He pulled them out of the water, watching them take humanoid forms as he did.

The boy was a comely lad, short hairs spiked around his head, giving the impression of one who was going to be a handful when he woke up. Of course, it could have also just been the effect of years of the river playing with it too. Scales covered the boy's body with metallic sheen, and rose as Kohaku gave him the breath of life, as the spirit's will was flagging. At last, as the child drew breath on his own again and fluttered open silver eyes, the Lord spoke.

"Welcome to the Land of the Living. Go above, find who you are, and be happy."

The girl did not require his intervention, waking on her own to take in the world around her for the first time. The eggs had been laid before the emergency hibernation spell had swept through the castle and breeding grounds, and so it would not be known who the parents were for a few weeks, as the adults regained their memories.

The hairless child stood before him now, not knowing yet what was going on. All she knew was she was a salamander spirit, and that this is where she belonged. Her instincts told her that this was her master, and he would surely give her a name and she could later join others to find a purpose.

"May I have a name, my lord?"

He had given so many names today, so many had belonged here. He didn't want or feel like he needed so many servants, yet this is where they said they belonged. He almost thought he couldn't think of another name, but then he remembered a name that he had once overheard.

"Rumiko."

* * *

Leading her through the complex, the Lord of the Kohakugawa told her about where she was, pointing out features of interest as they passed them. At last, they were in the river above, a dragon and a fish riding the currents. While drifting down the river, he did the same as when they were below. Lily had decided that she liked this 'Kohaku' who ran the affairs of the river. He seemed distracted though, as if no matter what he was doing, a portion of him was elsewhere.

Her master kept his word, and often laughed at the little fish's antics in the above river. After a while, the dragon bade her to stop and watch the banks. Lily was in awe, the sun was so bright, and there were so many colors, and the air tasted different . . .

What she found the most intriguing were some flowers that were already beginning to bloom. She recognized them somehow, but she didn't know how. The place in the river that they were at seemed to have been very carefully planned, made far more convenient than the stretches several miles up the river or several miles down. A space of about three miles or so seemed to have been designed with such care that nearly every water feature could be found within it.

Bugs danced on the surface of the water just above her in the dawn, and she could hear singing just over the top of the embankment. Something lively was going on just out of her range of vision, pulling at her and encouraging her to take her other shape and run to see. The lord cautioned her to stay quietly here though, eating the bugs if she wished, but to just stay patient. She would be here soon enough, she came every day around this time.

"Who?"

His enigmatic smile was her only answer. Her wait seemed to take forever, while the lord laid quietly in the currents, resting and drawing his strength together. The spell to awaken those that had gone into their desperate hibernation had taken quite a bit out of him.

* * *

Roughly two months had passed in the human realm since Kohaku had returned to his river, and Chihiro had no idea what all he had been up to. Fall was approaching, or to be more accurate, arriving. Already, natural river vegetation was returning, a sure sign that the master of the river had been very busy indeed.

Today, as always when she was performing her duties, she wore the blue and white of her shrine. Also as always, her hair was pulled back and bound up, preventing the mischievous wind spirit from creating a nest in it. That didn't phase the zestful zephyr though, he just blew her clothes around and tried to make it difficult for her to walk. She had a huge plateful of onigiri for the river kami, but she never gave him any.

Obviously, he wanted attention and was more than a little jealous. Kohakunushi made a mental note to trap the other kami in a bag for a while, just to give his miko a break.

The watching fish felt a jolt as she looked at the human, knowing this was the reason the Lord was distracted. This woman was important! She even bore the forming mate-mark of her newly discovered Lord, so what was she doing still above the surface of the river? Should she not be within the river instead of in that strange world above the embracing waters? There was something different about her though. Her Lady wasn't like them.

"What is she my Lord?"

"She is a human. Her name is Chihiro."

* * *

"Hello again Kohaku. I wonder what you are doing right now? You must have so much to do, putting everything back in proper order. I can tell by the river that you have been very busy. When will you come back, my Lord?."

As she straightened, the river accepted her offering hungrily, washing up to her ankle instead of only licking her toes as was more usual. Obviously he had been doing something very tiring if he was accepting food that eagerly. He wasn't letting go either.

Here, the wind kami saw his chance for a little revenge. All he was asking for was maybe a smile, or something. Kohaku could have her and do whatever he wanted with her, he just wanted somebody to pay at least a little attention every once in a while.

A giant gust of wind from behind pushed the miko into the water, drenching her. The poor thing sat in the water, trying to piece together what had happened. Angry yells from over the embankment erupted, as the kami had also accidentally sprayed burning tobacco into the resident Shaman's face while she was talking to her ancestral spirits. It didn't take too long before BlowingWind thundered down, brandishing a red string.

"That's it! I've had enough of your pranks!"

He got his attention. He was also now trapped in a knots on a red string shoved in BlowingWind's pocket.

"Did that crazy wind spirit push you into your crush?"

Chihiro blushed as her friend said that the river was her crush. She chose not to answer the question and looked around for a subject idea while she wrung out her clothes.

"Look, the river lilies are starting to grow. They always make me think of my childhood friend. We were the best of friends. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time with her though. Since she 'left,' they have always been my favorite. You know, it's funny. It's like she's right here with me."

Understanding that her friend was very embarrassed and not in the mood for horsing around, BlowingWind allowed the topic change while she washed the ashes off of her face and then dusted her own uniform.

"I understand. There are times where things will just pop up, and I'll be sure that my dad left them for me."

"Life is strange."

"Nothing weirder."

The friends both heaved large sighs as they looked out at the river, both melancholic for reasons unfathomable to them.

"What do you think he's doing 'Wind?"

Her answering laughter was unexpected.

"Mooning over you just as must as you moon over him, silly!"

"Baka."

Chihiro had chucked a tiny pebble at her friend, who just caught it.

"Come on, let's go eat and then see how many chores we can do before the Daily Cheese."

"I wonder if we could make some kind of charm to ward him off."

"There has to be something that will work Chihiro. Be our luck that it's a silver bullet though."

As they turned to head back to the Shrine, a booming voice broke the peace of the morning, and a male form flew over their heads and into the water.

"Cheese be gone!"

As Ryu had knocked the walking hormone out before throwing him, Queso floated down the river while the girl watched the sight. Together, they had the same question.

"Cheese be gone?"

"Well, it worked, didn't it? Come on breakfast is ready. Chihiro, stop flirting with Kohaku so much. You need to eat more."

"I was not flirting with Kohaku!"

"Sure, then why does it look like you went for a swim in your clothes?"

"The wind pushed me!"

"Excuses, excuses. I know better."

Ryu also ended up in the river, courtesy of a very red Chihiro. Kohaku excused himself from Lily, who know knew who her mistress was and where to find her. A wave of water pulled a volcano dragon a mile down river, causing him to miss breakfast.


End file.
